SD City Clean & Safe Ambassadors Address 'Dog Urine Smell' Concerns

6 Aug 2014

A rising stench wafting from downtown San Diego streets is drumming up controversy among residents as summer temperatures heat up, intensifying the situation.

Recently Fox 5 reported from the streets of downtown regarding the upset and how the city is doing to correct the problem smell of urine. The report focuses exclusively on dog urine; however, comments made online by those referring to themselves as city residents say the smell may also relate to the significant homeless population.

The property tax-funded Downtown San Diego Partnership’s Clean and Safe Maintenance Ambassadors provide 24-hour monitoring of maintenance issues in a 272-block area of downtown. According to the Fox 5 report, the program provides monthly power washing to sidewalks downtown, and high-traffic areas get additional attention.

Safety Ambassadors for the Clean & Safe program are considered an enhancement to SD Police Department services. Included in their responsibilities are deterring nuisance crimes and providing “social service outreach referrals.” Other Clean & Safe programs include: Movin’ Home, Downtown Community Court, Dog Stations, Letter of Agency, and Report Graffiti.

One apartment building in a nearby area has received several online reviews that speak of a dog urine smell. Reviews speak of a dog park just outside the building and the large number of dogs that reside in that particular building. “The streets reek all the time of dog urine and excrement,” says a review by Laura H. Still; another review by Eric V. says, “blame the owners if you smell urine.”

A review posted by Jen W. states in part, “If you want to walk to the Gaslamp or East Village you’re going to smell a lot of urine.” That review did not specifically reference the source of the smell.

Downtown resident Tiffany Hoover comments to Fox 5 of experiencing the strong smell floating in through her windows, while resident Mike Evardsen comments, “I do smell a lot of stink around the area. I just hope that we can clean it up one day and make this a good place to live and with good air quality.”

The Clean & Safe program is apparently testing multiple products to address the concern.